Winston-Salem, NC · zone 7b · ~228 frost-free days
When to plant in Winston-Salem: frost dates and zone 7b.
In Winston-Salem, the typical last spring frost lands around Mar 26 and the first fall frost around Nov 9, giving you about 228 frost-free days. Cool-season crops go out before the last frost; warm-season crops wait until after it.
The 2026 windows
Sow dates for Winston-Salem, keyed to your frost.
| Crop | Start indoors | Spring sow / set out | Fall sow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato, slicing | Feb 19 to Apr 21 | Apr 2 to Jun 2 | — |
| Lettuce, leaf | — | Feb 16 to Apr 2 | Aug 26 to Oct 25 |
| Carrot | — | Feb 16 to Mar 21 | Aug 14 to Sep 9 |
| Bush Bean | — | Mar 26 to May 16 | Jul 26 to Aug 28 |
| Cucumber, slicing | — | Apr 2 to Jul 2 | Jul 9 to Aug 9 |
| Pepper, bell | Feb 28 to Apr 21 | Apr 11 to Jun 2 | — |
| Kale | Jan 5 to Feb 2 | Feb 16 to Mar 16 | Aug 9 to Sep 24 |
| Spinach | — | Feb 2 to Mar 16 | Aug 26 to Oct 14 |
Winston-Salem sits in Zone 7b, but two gardens in the same city can be a week or two apart. The planner works from your ZIP code's frost dates, not the zone, so the dates land right for your block, not the metro average.
Build your Winston-Salem garden plan.
Tell the free planner what you want to eat and who you're feeding. It returns plant counts, spacing, and frost-safe sow dates for ZIP 27101 in about 60 seconds.
Winston-Salem planting questions
What planting zone is Winston-Salem, NC?+
Winston-Salem is in USDA hardiness zone 7b. Growing zone, gardening zone, and planting zone all mean the same thing: the USDA number, 7b here. It tells you what survives winter, not when to plant. Frost dates set your planting time, and the free planner uses your exact ZIP code's frost dates, which can differ by weeks across one metro.
When is the last frost date in Winston-Salem?+
The typical last spring frost in Winston-Salem, NC is around Mar 26. That is an average from local history, not a guarantee, so tender crops like tomatoes and peppers are safer with a week of buffer after it.
When is the first frost date in Winston-Salem?+
The typical first fall frost in Winston-Salem, NC arrives around Nov 9, closing a growing season of roughly 228 frost-free days. Count backward from it to find the last date a fall crop can still finish.
What can I plant now in Winston-Salem?+
It depends on the date. Cool-season crops like lettuce, kale, and spinach go out weeks before the last frost; warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers wait until after Mar 26. The table above shows each crop's window; the free planner turns your ZIP into an exact, dated calendar.